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Retail Sustainability Leadership Model

​​​About RILA’s Retail Sustainability Management Leadership Model

The Model is a tool for retail sustainability executives to identify the management practices that will drive improved corporate and environmental performance.

The Model is divided into seven sections, including:

Strategy & Commitment

People & Tools

Visibility​

Retail Operations

Supply Chain

Products

Sustain​ability / CSR Issues

It is intended to identify possible pathways to strong environmental sustainability programs in retail. The leading practices are currently only performed by a few companies at most; and not every company can/will achieve every leading practice.

How to Use the Model

The Model is a tool that can be used for individual company and industrywide purposes.

Individual retailers can use the Model to:

Identify the maturity of their program and opportunities for improvement

Facilitate internal conversations about the sustainability program’s development

Access more funding for sustainability programs

Train employees with sustainability responsibilities

Obtain buy-in from leadership and other departments

Evaluate internal and external perception, and then evaluate gaps

Program dimensions that were determined to be critical for embedding sustainability into a company’s corporate culture have been noted. Retailers should focus efforts on driving improvements in these key dimensions.

Retailers can refer to the
Sustainability Resource Library for specific tools, case studies, and further opportunities to help them progress the maturity of their programs.

• Board oversees and endorses sustainability goals and initiatives • Dedicated executive champion for sustainability appointed by board • Executives from all of the relevant parts of the business are engaged (e.g., strategy, innovation, finance, HR, legal, marketing, sourcing) ​

• Board and key executives held accountable for sustainability performance • Dedicated Chief Sustainability Officer reports directly to CEO • CSO & CEO partner to demonstrate business relevance of program to investors and other stakeholders​​

​• Works with HR to develop store sustainability team(s) or sustainability advocates to monitor on-site performance and provide feedback to corporate sustainability team • Works with corporate communications team to solicit sustainability suggestions from corporate employees • Hosts events for corporate employees to learn about sustainability in their retail roles and in their home (e.g., Earth Month events)

• Explains challenges in the supply chain through a number of channels (e.g., website, reports)

• Works with credible third parties to introduce sustainable best practices (e.g., FSC, MSC)

• Actively markets supply chain stories to consumers

​• Publishes list of factories and locations, with stories, photographs, or other information on all key suppliers

Products

​23. Product & Packaging Design and Development

​• Minimal attention given to packaging optimization

​• Ad hoc measures employed to reduce product impacts such as the purposeful merchandising of products using credible certifications (e.g., FSC, fair trade), and general pronouncements or guidelines to suppliers to minimize product and packaging impacts

• Employs credible criteria to evaluate sustainability performance of most major product categories

• Collaborates with suppliers to identify, develop, and market product/service innovations that further reduce environmental impact

• Employs credible criteria to evaluate sustainability performance of all major product categories

• Board oversees and endorses sustainability goals and initiatives • Dedicated executive champion for sustainability appointed by board • Executives from all of the relevant parts of the business are engaged (e.g., strategy, innovation, finance, HR, legal, marketing, sourcing) ​

Transforming

• Board and key executives held accountable for sustainability performance • Dedicated Chief Sustainability Officer reports directly to CEO • CSO & CEO partner to demonstrate business relevance of program to investors and other stakeholders​​

​• Works with HR to develop store sustainability team(s) or sustainability advocates to monitor on-site performance and provide feedback to corporate sustainability team • Works with corporate communications team to solicit sustainability suggestions from corporate employees • Hosts events for corporate employees to learn about sustainability in their retail roles and in their home (e.g., Earth Month events)

• Explains challenges in the supply chain through a number of channels (e.g., website, reports)

• Works with credible third parties to introduce sustainable best practices (e.g., FSC, MSC)

• Actively markets supply chain stories to consumers

Transforming

​• Publishes list of factories and locations, with stories, photographs, or other information on all key suppliers

Products

Dimensions

​23. Product & Packaging Design and Development

Initiating

​• Minimal attention given to packaging optimization

Progressing

​• Ad hoc measures employed to reduce product impacts such as the purposeful merchandising of products using credible certifications (e.g., FSC, fair trade), and general pronouncements or guidelines to suppliers to minimize product and packaging impacts

Excelling

• Employs credible criteria to evaluate sustainability performance of most major product categories

• Collaborates with suppliers to identify, develop, and market product/service innovations that further reduce environmental impact

Leading

• Employs credible criteria to evaluate sustainability performance of all major product categories